Scottish Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2025 | Disruptive Media Group | 1 November 2024 | DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central, 36 Cambridge St, Glasgow G2 3HN, UK

The Ex-Forces in Business Awards is the world’s largest celebration of ex-military in second careers – recognising the value veterans add to businesses as well as the employers that support the transition of servicemen and women.

Servicemen and women spend years adapting to roles and gaining valuable skills. They develop qualities that are hugely adaptable to commercial environments and in demand in the business world, but communicating the transferability of those skills to employers can be challenging. Increasing visibility of role models – military veterans who have carved out successful second careers – is crucial to not only empowering and inspiring current and future service leavers, but to educating employers on the value of supporting the transition of servicemen and women.

Awards Categories

• Advocate of the Year
• Military Values in Business Award
• Business Leader of the Year
• Champion of Women Award
• D&I Initiative of the Year
• Employer of the Year
• Engineering Excellence Award
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Innovator of the Year
• Inspiration of the Year
• Lifetime AchievementNew Service Leaver of the Year
• Outstanding Achiever of the Year
• Reservist of the Year
• Rising Star of the Year
• Role Model of the Year
• Service Leaver of the Year
• SME Leader of the Year
• Team Leader of the Year
• Young Leader of the Year

2024 Winners

Advocate of the Year
• Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith, Edinburgh Napier University

Business Leader of the Year
• David Wood, Drumfork Nursery & Forest School

Employer of the Year
• Barclays

Engineering Excellence Award
• Dale Ashworth, Intelligent Growth Solutions

Entrepreneur of the Year
• Lyall Colvin, Q Electrical Industrial Services

Innovator of the Year
• Colin Meikle, CAN Group

Inspiration of the Year
• Alan Bell MBE, The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety

Lifetime Achievement Award
• Malcolm Sutherland, Caledonian Concepts

Military Values in Business Award
• Julia Barr, Mott MacDonald

New Service Leaver of the Year
• Craig Laughland, Barclays

Outstanding Achiever of the Year
• Kyle Manns, Balhousie Care Group

Reservist of the Year
• Megan Davies, OneSixty Fundraising

Team Leader of the Year
• William Holloway, Extrinsica Global